# Vintage Victorian Portraits This Female Portrait Painting Series is Somber and Intense By Farida Helmy | Published 2014-05-29 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/female-portrait-painting-series References: [mymodernmet](http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/mara-light-paintings) & [maralight](http://maralight.com) There's something utterly mesmerizing about this faded female portrait painting series that makes me want to keep looking into the faces of these long-lost women. Created by the super talented Pittsburgh-based artist Mara Light, these intimate paintings transform us into another era where the female body was meant to be a secret. The female portrait painting series is not old, but the way the artist is able to make it genuinely seem lost, dusty, deteriorated, forgotten and worn-out by age is amazing. Playing with [shadows, textures and color](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/silent-echoes) to create that [retro effect](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/retrova), Light enhances the sultry and mysterious feel of her art by painting the women with intense somber gazes and nostalgically sad -- and unsmiling -- faces. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.2/10 - Popularity: 92% | Activity: 57% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Retro Art Revival:** Capitalizing on the nostalgic trend, artists can create vintage-inspired artwork that transports viewers to another era. - **Emotional Artistry:** Artists can explore the power of emotions by depicting somber and intense expressions in their portraits. - **Reimagining History:** By giving a contemporary twist to historical art styles, artists can create captivating pieces that bridge the past and present. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Art and Design:** Artists and designers can incorporate vintage elements in their work to cater to the growing demand for nostalgic aesthetics. - **Fashion and Photography:** Fashion photographers can draw inspiration from somber and intense facial expressions to create powerful and emotive fashion campaigns. - **Home Decor and Interior Design:** Interior designers can incorporate retro artwork with intense expressions into their designs, adding depth and character to living spaces. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Glamorous Artful Bronze Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sweet-jane.md) - [Rediscovered Iconic Masterpieces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gustav-klimt1.md) - [Stylized Portrait Generators](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/face-to-all.md) - [Reimagined Puzzled Artful Paintings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/portrait-of-a-woman-in-a-hat.md) - [Time-Altering Digital Portraits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/time-machine-feature.md) - [Striking Glass Portraits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/glass-portraits.md) - [Custom Pet Portraits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/portrait-mom.md) - [AI-Generated Poetic Photo Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/emilio-alarcn.md) - [AI Portrait Generators](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/portraitia.md)